'Mean' Orlando

Our take on . . .

July 16, 2009|By sage

Lists like the one rating Orlando the third "meanest" U.S. city for the homeless get noticed, no matter how arbitrary or unfair they might be.

It's true that Orlando has passed laws restricting the homeless in recent years. But the city also has taken steps to help people living on the streets. In May, for example, Orlando committed $1.6 million from federal grants toward the construction of a badly needed residential center for up to 250 men.

We're expecting a lot from the Central Florida Regional Homeless Commission, a group that Orlando and other governments in the region launched with the goal of ending homelessness in 10 years. If it can rack up some real accomplishments, that would be the best rebuttal to those who would call the city mean.